


Stardust

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Time Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-14
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-03-07 13:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3174648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's 1928 and all Hermann wants is to be rescued from the growing tension in Germany. He's got no idea that his escape is about to knock on his door.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To the Rescue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [patster223](https://archiveofourown.org/users/patster223/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is officially all patster's fault but I've been toying with a Time Travel AU for a while now. Just needed a push, I guess! 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

**-Garmisch, Germany; 1928-**

_It starts, as all true tales do, with a kiss._

Well-Almost the start. 

Hermann frowns at the typewriter in front of him and cracks his knuckles. He cannot bear inaccuracies in math but this is a story, a fantasy for Bastien to hear on miserable nights when they have to burn the marks Dietrich earned the night before as a 'guide' for American tourists. A kiss it shall have to be. 

_This kiss is wet but by no means miserable. You see the one giving it was a Time Traveler. He kissed like there was no future, no past but the present was all he had. The man was short though sturdy in stature and very modern. The only thing that one would call, shall we say, distracting about the man is his tattoos. Yes! Tattoos of ferocious beasts that rise from the oceans to attack the Pacific coasts. He was a biologist, a bastion against the beasts along with the pilots._

_What sort of pilots, you ask? They piloted large craft in pairs, some brothers, others scandolously matched and unmarried! As to what sort of craft-Robots! Ones that cut the sky like the buildings in far-away America, towering high and mighty to defend the people of the world._

_But back to our Time Traveler for he had come with a Purpose. He wanted the one he'd kissed for a reason as yet unknown._

Hermann looks up when someone knocks on the small apartment's door. Bastien was staying with a friend while the nasty weather outside blew over and Karla wasn't due back from her job for hours yet. He sighs, finishes his sentence and peers through the peephole. What he saw causes him to stumble backwards into the plush, well-used arm chair. The man he's **just** described on the page had come to life! Another knock came, this one much louder than before and likely to wake the early birds if Hermann did not answer. 

"Get in!" Hermann hisses venomously as the man drips on his doorstep. "What is the meaning of all that rack-Mmph?" A hand covers his mouth as the smaller man's eyes rove over the small space Hermann has converted into a private room. 

"Hello. Wow, Mako wasn't kidding when she said you were pretty," the man squeaks out with a sharp grin and a tension about his frame that spoke of fear. Hermann knows the sight well as unrest continues in Germany. "You have to come with me." 

"Excuse me?! I do not even know who you are, you-you heathen!" Hermann snaps back as the man's hand left his mouth. 

"Oh! Right, first time doing this bit. Hello, my name is Agent Newton Gieszler and your knowledge is needed to defeat a menace that will kill all of humanity in the future. You in?" The bright grin and the offered hand startle him into assessing the situation properly. He shakes it quickly and straightens his jacket with a nod to himself. 

Hermann narrows his eyes as he takes in the man's (Newton and it causes a tiny shiver to race up his slightly curved spine) attire. The tie is horrendously backwards and the leather jacket has been repaired with a surprisingly neat hand. 

"There is some mistake." 

"She said you'd say that too." Geiszler counters with a snort. 

"Begging your pardon, Agent Geiszler, but I do not feel it necessary to put up pretenses. Are you an American spy? Your German is absolutely awful if you must know." he sniffs as he snatches his cane from where it's hanging off of the stiff-backed chair. 

"'American spy', he says. 'Go get the only man who can help us out', they said. It'll be fun, they said. 'He'll listen to a man of your scientific prowess', they promised. Bull." Gieszler mutters into empty space. "Are you or are you not Dr. Hermann Gottlieb?" 

"I am indeed the aforementioned." he admits stiffly. "Your source was correct on that matter, though I do not see why I would be needed for anything of the sort you imply." 

"You'll see what I mean when and _if_ you say yes, Dr. Gottlieb," Agent Gieszler huffs out as he wipes his strange glasses on the already wet white button-down. Hermann rolls his eyes and offers one of his many handkerchiefs due to Karla's attempts to embroider properly for her job as a seamstress. "Only if you're doing this willingly. It's a consent issue, alright?" 

"Let me leave a note and I shall go with you." 

"Ahhh, can't let you do that?" Agent Gieszler hem-haws as Hermann gathers the materials for a note. 

"They will worry if I do not leave at least a small token." he counters with a long stare. 

"Right. They said you needed the reassurance." The nonsense spilling from Agent Gieszler's lips is fairly ridiculous but Hermann will indulge him for the time being. 

_Going out with a colleague. Will be back after nightfall. -Hermann_

He has no idea of the journey ahead of him nor what it will bring him.

* * *

After he put the note on the dining room table, Agent Geiszler looks at his wrist-watch and curses soundly in something utterly foreign to Hermann. 

"We're _late_." 

"To what, exactly, are you referring to?" Hermann asks as he slips on his patched duster. 

"Our transport, Dr. Gottlieb. Come on! We can make the next one." Agent Geiszler grabs his hand and practically **sprints** to the corner of Hermann's street. "Brace yourself. This is going to make you dizzy." 

"I don't-Oh Mein Gott." Hermann squeezes Newton's hand hard at the sudden rush of colors that flare in a circle around them and they vanish with a loud _**-BANG!-**_ that Hermann remembers with perfect clarity. It is the last time he sees 1928 Germany in such a simple way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, feedback would be lovely~


	2. The Future is Bright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack! I almost freaked out when AO3 went on the fritz cause I planned the posting of this chapter this morning at 3 AM.

* * *

**-Hong Kong Shatterdome, China: 2022-**

When he stumbles out of the multi-colored circle, Hermann feels his simple meal of gruel and fire-roasted wurst coming up in the worst way. Someone manages to hand him a waste basket before he vomits. Oh this is _humiliating_. Hermann will be demanding an immediate—He looks up with wide eyes, barely managing to keep from dropping his jaw through sheer force of will. Airplanes and incredible machines are everywhere, the applied theory of some of his fellow physicists a reality here. 

He digs around for his other handkerchief and wipes his lips free of bile before tucking it away. Hermann hopes there are washing boards in the future or something of similar design. 

"Agent Geiszler! That is possibly the _**worst**_ way _to tell someone they are, in fact, Time Traveling_." Hermann manages once he finds his voice, the raspy German sharp and in the High Tongue of his grandfather. "You could have suggested a hint of Jules Verne, you absolute moron." 

"Oh. Oops. See, uh, we're not allowed to tell you anything of the sort before you figure it out for yourself." The Agent in question is scuffing his boot on a concrete floor and not looking Hermann in the eye. 

"Dr. Gottlieb?" Hermann straightens his spine as much as it can be allowed to do so at his title. 

The woman in front of him is wearing **pants** and military boots paired with a trench coat. Let it not be said that Hermann is of the same opinion as men who think a woman's place is at home; he admires this woman's bravery in breaking any boundaries she so desires. She is also wearing a head-set of some sort and bears a clip-board with some clear cover over the papers. The sprinkle of rain explains the reason for such attire as the woman swings her umbrella to cover all three of them. 

"May I help you, fräulein?" he states in heavily-accented English. 

"You speak English very well," she compliments with a smile. "I am Head of the Restoration Project of the Hong Kong Shatterdome. Officer Mako Mori at your service." Here she gives him a smart salute. "I asked that you be brought in by formal request. I feel that you will become an invaluable member of our team." 

"Thank you, Officer Mori. I cannot help you until I know what is going on," Hermann prompts simply with a raised brow, clearing his throat to emphasize Agent Geiszler's restless wriggling in the presence of a superior. 

"We cannot strictly _tell_ you what is going on. However," Officer Mori smiles as though she knows something he does not, "there is a loophole in the rules. We can _show_ you what we need your help with, Dr. Gottlieb." 

"Ah. Well, lead on Officer." Now Hermann partially understands the reasoning behind Gieszler's actions. 

"Thank you for your patience. I am... aware that Dr. Gieszler is a bit vague."

"Doctor? He stated that he was an Agent." Hermann pins the figeting man with a look perfected by his Mutti over the years of raising four children before succumbing to the flu of The Great War. 

"He holds many titles within the PPDC, does our Dr. Gieszler, but do not be fooled by his empty-headed façade. That one's as sharp as a blade." she says with a wry upturn of her lips as she leads the way past the enormous robots (they cannot be anything _else_ ) and into dull grey corridors. She'd handed the umbrella off to a subordinate once they had reached shelter. "This is what we are fighting." Officer Mori taps a few keys on a board (Hermann is itching get his hands on that amazing technology) and suddenly there is a monstrosity taking up the entire room. "The report has consolidated all of our current research." 

She hands over the clip-board and takes away the clear cover. The paper is a startling white and the ink does not smudge when Hermann runs his thumb over the page. He reads, grabs a chair almost absently and sits down as the information sinks in. 

"... This is... I cannot help you. My knowledge of mathematics and theory are not enough for this-this battle you face, Officer Mori." Hermann admits with no small amount of shame. "Even if I could calculate where this Breach is, it would be of no use unless there is also a method to destroy it." 

"Knowing where it's at is **huge** , dude! If you can do that, then we can come up with a strategy to beat the Kaiju at their own game!" Gieszler counters with a fierce expression, his lips pressed thin as he leans over the desk to impatiently tap the report Hermann had just finished. 

"You should have chosen Einstien or Telsa or any number of my colleagues. I am not up for such a task." Hermann bristles sharply in the face of Gieszler's blustering bravado. 

"Dr. Gottlieb, I was very careful to select you from among any number of your colleagues because there is no mention of your work past the day you left with Dr. Geiszler." Officer Mori informs him with a careful, cautious tone. "The name Hermann Gottlieb vanishes from history and reappears during this war and this war alone." 

"I... You truly believe I can make any sort of difference? Any at all?" Some part of him is proud to hear he is the one they need. 

"Yes." Her expression is one of hope and war and a thousand unsaid things in her gaze that solidifies Hermann's choice. 

"Then I will do my utmost to see to it that this War does not end like The Great War. I will require chalkboards and a space to think," He cannot believe the words coming out of his mouth but they feel right as he says them. "and perhaps a cup of tea." 

"Right this way, Dr. Gottlieb."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is loved~


	3. Tea and Puppy Lovin's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have way more of this than planned or even wanted. And on top of this, my _Athene_ Muses wanna play with me too! Busy, busy, **busy** even when I'm a little under the weather.

* * *

Hermann is utterly enchanted at the space before him, wall-to-wall chalkboards and brand-new chalk, the likes of which he hadn't seen since his childhood. There are a stack of books on his desk about mathematics, astrology and something he's sure is a future device. There is also a device much like the one in the room he met Officer Mori in. 

_I took the liberty in assuming you will find the information enlightening. -M. Mori_

Hermann is so engrossed in his textbook full of advanced calculus equations that the scent of tea doesn't register until someone clears their throat and Hermann looks up. 

"Figured you wanted to drink it warm instead of boiling hot." Gieszler mutters as he pushes the delicate porcelain across the desk with a scuffling noise. "How's the math?" 

"Thank you, Dr. Geiszler." he takes a sip of his tea and hums at the soothing, smoky flavor. "The maths are quite revolutionary and I am astonished to say the least." 

"Are you, umm, are you hungry? 'Cause I know I am and you barfed when you got here... So..." Dr. Geiszler is incredibly odd but Hermann understands that the man is merely trying to help him adjust to the future. He takes another drink of the tea, not spotting any leaves in the bottom. Did they brew tea differently?

"I find myself a bit peckish and I would like a small tour of the facilities. These will remain here?" Hermann asks the last part with a faint hint of wistfulness. He picks up his cane and leans his full weight on it for a moment, stretching his back to it's limits. Drinking the last of the tea is a good idea as he feels a great deal more than _peckish_.

"Mako, that's Officer Mori from earlier, bought these for you. They're yours to keep dude." Geiszler says as he rocks back on his heels. 

"Oh. I will take the one I am currently reading then," He slides his hand under the book and tucks it against his chest, arm wrapped around it to keep it secure. 

"You're taking a book with you and it's the future. You are such a nerd!" The general tone has Hermann bristling since it sounds like an insult. 

"Excuse me for trying to extend my knowledge so that I may better your cause." He snaps with a sneer that often drove away any tourists who thought him like his brother Dietrich (guide being a euphemism for many things). 

"Sorry. It's just... I was the only one around here that was making headway and now they brought you in-" 

"You do not think they will listen to your advice should my theoretical works prove true." Hermann is very perceptive of people and it often unnerved his college professors and peers. "Perhaps if you turned your tie around...?" 

"Huh? Oh. Didn't know it was backwards." Dr. Geiszler undoes the incredibly tight knot and reties it into a windsor. "Anyway, dinner? You can toss some theory my way but I only know the basics." 

"Basics?" He presses while concentrating on memorizing the path to the chalkboard haven and back. 

"Yeah. You need a bit of math for the sciences, you know? Acidity solutions and chemistry and stuff." Gieszler clarifies as they walk down the hallway towards the incredible smells of what sounds like a college café. "Comes in handy for like, my five other doctorates." 

"You have more than one?!" Hermann is astonished. The man can't be more than **_twenty-seven_**! 

"I have six and don't you even think about saying all six of them. Just- The last time I met a German physicist, he insisted on saying all six every time he spoke to me. It's Newt, if you really want to catch my attention." Gieszler says as he holds two trays and leads them over to an empty table that brackets a corner. Hermann's shoulders relax once he has the room in his sights. 

"Though I do not understand why, I shall endeavor to keep your name short." He replies with a small upturn of his lips as he sits down. The book and his cane are given their own space as he picks up the two sticks on his right side. "May I ask what these are and what I am eating?" 

"Those are chopsticks and they're for eating those dumplings on your tray. I kept it small since your stomach likely isn't up for much." Newt informed him. "You eat them like this." Hermann watches as Newton easily scoops up a matching dumpling on the other tray and shoves the entire thing in his mouth. He mimics Newton and deftly manages half a dumpling before setting it down and reaching for the smell of tea. 

He eats neatly and watches with interest as Newton demolishes everything on his tray and goes back for seconds. In the moments that Hermann is alone, Mako walks by and gives him a nod, he gets a suspicious look from a ginger-haired teenager and a mildly-interested glance from the father of the pair. He doesn't expect the English bulldog that barrels into his good leg and play-bows. 

"You should be with your owner, puppy." he chides in German and the dog gives a ruff as he sits on Hermann's foot. "Off." He gets a panting doggie smile for his efforts. Hermann hesitantly pets the animal, unsure of who it belongs to. 

"Oi, ol' man, you seen Max?" 

"Last time I saw 'im was near that new fella." 

"Damn dog. Max, c'mere!" The dog wags his tail and attempts to get up on the bench with Hermann, the rolls of fat making the dog cuter than it has any right to be. Hermann scratches Max behind the ear and then clucks his tongue. 

"Go to your Master," Hermann makes it an order and the dog barks as he runs to the teenager, play-bowing with him as well. 

"Ya harassin' new people, ya booger?" The teen crouches down, rubbing the fur around the shoulders and earning a soft wuff. "Sorry 'bout that." 

"It's alright. The pup does no harm." Hermann answers in English, though he can hear traces of German in it. 

"Thanks fer watchin' out for 'im." 

"No problem." The teen wanders off and Max follows with a distinct waddle. Newton walks up just after the teen leaves his sight. 

"Dude. What did you say to him? He's smiling!" 

"Does he not smile?" Hermann asks after he finishes off the wonderful tea. Newton sets another cup in front of him with the same smell and what looks like a baked good (a cookie if he's any judge). "I am under the assumption that smiling is a joyous expression."

"No. If he smiles, something either went terribly in his favor or he pranked someone. Seriously, what did you _say_?" the way Newton leans on the table makes Hermann want to swat his elbows and tell him to sit properly. Did they not teach etiquette classes with schooling anymore? 

"The dog sought affection and chose me," Hermann murmurs as he crumbles off a bit of the cookie to taste it. Newton's jaw drops open. "You will catch flies with your mouth open that wide. Please close it." 

"Max is, like, the pickiest dog in existence. He likes his owner, his owner's Dad, Mako and now you." Newton sounds very impressed and Hermann didn't quite know what to do with that sort of awe. 

"Then I find myself flattered." Hermann murmurs as he nibbles on the cookie and reads the more interesting problems in German to Newton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is very much wanted!


	4. Marshals & Slinkies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to have the chapter before the one I post written and not flying by the seat of my pants on this one.

* * *

When he sees the chalkboards again, he's struck with inspiration and he writes out the equation that had been in the report. Hermann stands back to take it all in while knowing there is something he's not quite getting. Something gets tossed onto his desk by Newton and he looks at the peculiar shape for a long moment. 

"It's a slinky. A kid's toy for when you can't figure stuff out and you need an outlet. I throw it a lot. I keep forgetting you're in the room," Newton sheepishly admits as he smears glowing blue material onto a microscope slide with a q-tip. "You're really quiet, come to think of it. Your lectures at TU were pretty loud." 

"I was teaching students who-You mean those recordings make it to the future? My student Elise was merely showing them to me as a means of exhibiting my excitement. I hadn't realized... Ein moment." He scrubs away the equation with rough sharp strokes, muttering in German as he slips into teaching mode. 

Hermann sighs as he puts the finishing touches to his brand new theory sketching out the funnel shape that he knows the Breach is made of on the last bit of the boards. He slides the covering board over it and feels someone or something watching him, which causes him to turn around, finding it to be a man of some stature and the father of the teenager with the dog. 

"Hello. May I help you gentlemen?" The switch to English is almost automatic at this point. 

"We were told you were brought in to help with the Breach equation." The black man states with a deep English accent, something Hermann's Father would have mocked had this man been anywhere in Germany during The Great War. Lars disapproved of a great many things before the War but did not live to see past it. 

"Yes sir." It seems to Hermann that this man does not demand respect but earns it if the look from the Australian is any indication. Some part of him is glad he does not share his Father's opinion. 

"Any luck, Dr...?" 

"Dr. Hermann Gottlieb, sir." He gives a salute and turns to the boards on his heel swiftly. "The structure of the Breach was previously unknown, yes?" Hermann spots Newton making a face at his respectful approach of the commander. 

"It is but if you've figured it out, Dr. Gottlieb, please continue." 

"The former equation did not take in the fact that after each attack, this Breach seems to disappear. I factored in the timing of each attack, the duration of the battle in question and the limited data gathered during such a fight. I have hypothesized that there is a means to opening and closing this Breach. The key to such a mechanism continues to avoid me." Hermann lectures briefly, keeping it short and abbreviated for these men who look like they have a War to run. "Newton helped a great deal when he threw this onto my desk." 

Hermann picks up the slinky and spins it just so, the spiral form of the Breach suddenly visible. Both men look absolutely stunned at this discovery and Hermann's afraid to say any more than he already has. "A spiral?" 

"Not quite, sir." Hermann slides the first board back with his cane as he walks backwards to reveal the diagram. "I have not yet calculated the timing of this Breach but if I could get sensors down far enough..." 

"How far and how many?" The commader of this, he believed Officer Mori called it a Shatterdome, base is intense and very much interested in what he has to say next. 

"As far down as the Kaiju are tall, for a start, and perhaps quite a bit deeper." Hermann knocks the Breach structure board back over with the end of his cane and shows them the device in question. He'd had to use the computer (with a holographic display, whatever _that_ meant) to figure out a modern construct. "The coordinates are also on the board for where it theoretically remains." 

"Consider it done, Dr. Gottlieb. Officer Mori was correct in her assessment that you would be invaluable." The man turned on his heel in a militaristic manner and left the room, taking his obvious second-in-command with him. Hermann sighs in relief at giving the man the information he needed. 

"Thank you, sir." he states with a nod after they leave. 

"Oh my God. You were so **cool**! Marshal Pentecost actually believed you were a consult from TU." Newton was crowing victory with a bright smile and the slopping of Kaiju innards. 

"I taught at TU with great pleasure. I have my notebook somewhere... Ah. Here, I was writing a textbook before we were slammed with the bill for The Great War." Hermann extracts the small, cramped notebook from his duster and offers it after Newton has rinsed his gloves and hands of the offensive material in question. 

"Wow. Some of this theoretical stuff is a reality now. Dude, you are so gonna change history..." Newton mutters as he flips through the pages at an alarming pace. 

"I thought I already was." he remarks quietly with a shake of his head. 

"Oh, yeah, you still are."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't like something about this chapter and it's driving me up a wall. Also! For those of you who are wondering where all the arguing is... Well, we'll get there when we get there. Ehehe. Time puns are great. :) Feedback is loved!~


	5. Strawberries and Surprises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, more time-travel is on the way! I just have to finish Ch. 6 and start 7. 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Sleeping arrangements also lead to the other time-displaced individuals in the Shatterdome. 

The first is Tendo Choi, the San Fransico native from three decades after Hermann who greets him with a hand-shake and a smile. "What's up?" 

Hermann's not sure if it's a greeting or something else so the words that come out are purely mathematical, "Gravity exerting it's force to keep us all on the planet." 

"Heh, guess I should've expected that coming from a guy who looks like my old science Professor. Name's Tendo Choi and I hail from 1953. You?" He shakes Tendo's hand while noting the rosary wrapped around the man's wrist. 

"Dr. Hermann Gottlieb at your service, Mr. Choi. I come from 1928. Are there more of us?" Hermann identifies himself purely for manner's sake. He has no idea why this man is so happy; well, the future is certainly _brighter_ than anything they came from so he suspects Tendo is still in awe of the technology. 

"Just one other guy. He's a fighter pilot from 1946. He keeps mostly to himself but follows Mako around like a lost puppy." Tendo is very... gregarious and slings an arm around Hermann's shoulders like they're old friends. 

"I see. Are there plans to induct further members?" He feels that he must ask this particular question at least once. 

"Nah, we're it. Mako doesn't want to test the chaos-theory anymore than she has to at this point." Tendo waves off the concern and tugs him over to a table. "Sit down for a sec. You're not going to **believe** this," The San Fran native makes a wait gesture and opens the white box standing upright. What he pulls out is something Hermann hasn't seen since late spring. "Strawberries. In the middle of winter. How much _cooler_ can the future get?!" 

"How on Earth...?" 

"They have places that grow this stuff because they're warm all year round and the planes carry it here. I was a ferry operator and a traveling salesman and they took me because they liked my work. What about you?" Tendo chatters away as he sets the small basket of strawberries down after he washes them, bringing out plates and what looks like cream in a tub along with forks. 

"I was chosen specifically for my work. And the... pilot?" Hermann questions as he stabs a strawberry with a fork and takes a bite, savoring the taste that bursts across his tongue. 

"Raleigh Becket at your service, sir. Me n' my brother are the best pilots the western side of the War." The short salute is sweet and the pilot gives him a long look. "You're German?" 

"Yes. Will that cause friction?" 

"If you support the Nazi party, sure. If not, I have no beef with ya." The blond shrugs at that, the heavy jacket only serving to emphasize the broad shoulders. 

"Good heavens no. That party is awful." Hermann sniffs in contempt at joining the worker's union-based party. 

"Wait, you... He's before us?" Raleigh asks as he thumps down into the chair next to Tendo, kicking up his booted feet to rest them on the table. Oh the etiquette classes had _definitely_ gone out the window after the 1930s. Hermann wants to swat the boots off the table with his canes 

"Yup. All the way from 1928." The pilot looks impressed and also takes up a strawberry with a fork, pulling it off and dipping it into the cream. "Crazy." 

"Huh. Then you're alright, Prof." comes the assurance. 

"Are you attempting to gauge my profession?" Hermann responds with a brow raise and a particularly vicious jab at the strawberry on his plate. 

"I don't know enough about you. Professor or Doc was my first guess." Raleigh drops his feet at Hermann's pointed look. 

"I am both as it so happens Mr. Becket. Dr. Hermann Gottlieb, Lead Physicist of Technische Universität in Berlin." He states this fact rather proudly, sitting up in his chair even further. 

"Raleigh please, Doc. Mr. Becket isn't someone you wanna know." The withering remark leads Hermann to the conclusion that Becket Sr. was a terrible father. "So... Berlin?" 

"Well, I run my research in Garmisch, out in the countryside. I have a journal. One moment." Hermann loves showing off his work. "Ah, here we are." The thick moleskin is absolutely stuffed with papers of various sizes and held together with a thick piece of faded blue ribbon. He unties the ribbon with ease, having learnt an easier way through Newton. "The diagrams are probably easier to read. My handwriting is quite cramped." 

"Wow. Yan's got one of those. Filled out three and he's workin' on a fourth. Oh, uh, Yancy's my brother. I shorten it to keep from confusing the only dame flyin' in our flight." Raleigh grins at the last part, pulling out a picture from his jacket. "That's Nancy. She took her husband's place in '43 and she's one of the best we got. Crack shot too, while 'm at it." 

They crowd around the picture and that is how Max finds them with the ginger teen following behind. 

"Max, what th' hell is so damn innerestin' about-Oh. _You_ again." The baleful stare is directed at Raleigh. The blond returns it with a neutral expression, though his eyes show that he's had this conversation before. "Stop feedin' my dog yer leftovers, _**Rah**_ leigh." 

"I will when he stops eatin' 'em." 

"Gentlemen." Hermann's surprised he's getting in the middle of what sounds like will be a violent confrontation. It is astonishing, the amount of things he'd never do in the past he's willing to do in the future. "Sit down and discuss this without coming to blows." The ginger teen thumps into the last chair remaining as Raleigh retakes his chosen seat. 

"I got Max on a diet cause he can't get fat. Yer messin' with m' trainin' an' his health. C'n ye stop now?" The teen grumbles out with a sour face. Hermann raises a brow and out comes a grudging, "Please?" 

"Alright. I'll quit feedin' your dog. But you gotta respect Ms. Mori, Chuck." Chuck grits his teeth and curls his fist. 

"You don' know everythin', okay? I respect Maks just as much as ye do, only I don' keep givin' her puppy-eyes." Hermann blinks at that, noticing the way the teen and the pilot are breathing in sync. **Oh**. Hopefully in the future, that sort of thing won't get them killed... 

"An' there it is; you keep denying that you wanna make puppy-eyes at her too." Chuck lunges forward and Raleigh neatly side-steps while wrapping the younger man in a hug. "Y'know, if I didn' know any better, I'd say... you're _jealous_ of her." Hermann takes his plate and Tendo does the same, both of them edging towards the door but not before they hear Raleigh murmur, "Think I got it right." 

"Yeah, y'did." Chuck purrs in reply. 

Hermann scurries to his assigned room along with Tendo and the strawberries. They shut the door and look at each other before giggling like little boys. That was certainly something you didn't see everyday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggestions for the series are welcome since I'm flying by the seat of my pants! Feedback is loved; loved, hated or range of a teaspoon?


	6. Victory and Defeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this thing is making me pull on my hair. I can do the happy ending bit... It's everything between the ending and the last chapter that's throwing me for a loop!
> 
> Suggestions are welcome~

* * *

**-January 5, 2025-**

Hermann knows what he has to do and it is a reminder that he does not belong in this time. 

"Mako, I must ask that you send me back." Hermann states after Mako leaves Raleigh and a very brusied Chuck to the cheers of the entire Shatterdome. 

"To 1928?" She is the best and brightest for a reason. "Or is this something else?" 

"No, though that would be less painful than what I believe we need to do." He chuckles with a watery sniff. "It's that something else that I do not wish to disclose." 

"Gottleib-hakase, what is it exactly you need me to do?" Mako inquires seriously as she pulls him into a corner. 

"I need you to send me back to 2013. Not to warn anyone of the impending doom, as we are well aware is impossible without changing this timeline, but to become Newton's spur to join the PPDC. He mentioned a German physicist who corresponded with him and... Ms. Mori, it's _me_. It is my style of writing and my cutting voice over the phone in his memories. I am afraid you will have to send Raleigh and his brother back as well." 

"What happens to his brother?" 

"I cannot say." Oh how it pains him to see the awful path before Raleigh and himself with no one else the wiser. "Only that it must be done." 

"You're very sure about this, Gottlieb-hakase." Mako comments quietly as they sit on a stray bench. 

"Sadly, no one will know the difference but Raleigh, you and I once we reach a certain point in time; most likely the date of my arrival." 

"And Newt?" 

"Newton as well since he brought me here first." 

"Oh. You are absolutely sure it must be done?" She pins him with a long, searching gaze that seems to find what she's looking for. 

"The predictions if we do not go back are... **terrifying** to say the least." 

"What will I need to do when we take you from your original time?" Mako asks as she takes a blank-paged clipboard and begins to write things down in kanji. 

"I am not entirely sure what will happen but I believe I will exist if I do not meet my counterpart and I will have to be Raleigh's companion until you persuade him to join you here." Hermann states carefully. "I suppose I will have to take that note and hand it off to you before 2022?" 

"Yes. I only ask one thing; will Raleigh be different?" 

"Possibly. I cannot know what is to come, Ms. Mori, and even if I did..." He stops for a moment, his heart aching at having to leave Newton by himself in this timeline. 

The sad but sweet smile she favors him with means she understands, "You could not tell me. The rules are only show, not tell." 

"You will tell Newton and Chuck that this is necessary? That it-That it must be done?" Hermann nearly chokes on the words as his sorrow overtakes him for a moment. 

"Yes. Do we have a limit?" Mako is asking if she has time for a _proper_ goodbye (not like with Stacker, their steadfast point for the last three years) and Hermann knows that he must do the same for Newton. 

"We have twenty-four hours, Ms. Mori. Any more than that and there will not **be** anything to go back to, do you understand?" He cannot stress this enough. 

"Twenty-four is more than I could ask for, Gottleib-hakase. We will depart in six hours to the Time Manipulator." She hugs him tightly as she snuffles into his shoulder. "Thank you for warning us ahead of time." 

"I only do what I must, Ms. Mori, for the sake of the world."

* * *

**-6 hours and counting for the mission-**

Hermann pats the bed for Newton to sit with him and stop pacing. 

"Newton, please sit." Newt huffs sharply and cuddles with Hermann, looking up with hurt green eyes. 

"I can't believe that I _have_ you and you need to go." 

"You are the turning point in this War. You need to join the PPDC and learn everything about the Kaiju." Hermann sighs as he clasps Newton's hand gently. "I am, for all intents and purposes, the thorn in your side. You will remember this again. We will be back, though I suppose somewhat different on Raleigh's part and perhaps my own." 

"I understand the why, Herms. What I don't understand is why we have to do it so soon after V-K-Day." 

"Do you remember the theoretical robotics in my textbook?" he switches topics suddenly but he knows Newton's incredible mind will catch on as to the why of such a subject. 

"... Dude, are you telling me you're behind the Jaegers?!" 

"The coding is... consistent and matches some of my theory. Therefore-" 

"You have to go back. But why Raleigh? Why not me?" 

"There is a spike in Jaegers falling after 2020. The Jaeger in question is piloted by two brothers, one of whom is never seen again by the PPDC until 2025." 

"Holy shit. You're telling me it's-Oh my God. You're right and I'm being an idiot right now." Newt flails a bit, kicking his legs back and forth off the edge of the bed. 

"Newton. We only have six more hours. What I want to discuss is that lovely tattoo of what looks like Jaeger coding that goes all the way up your left thigh and where it ends..." 

"Hermann! Dirty old- _Ohh_. You go right ahead and explore."

* * *

Tendo waves from his spot next to the Time Manipulator, a suitcase perched next to him with a jacket draped over it. 

"Mr. Choi I am unsure as to why you're standing with us." Hermann states with a quiet surety. 

"I'm comin' with Doc. See, I figured that Raleigh needs back-up for the end of the world." 

"... Alison is aware that this may change things?" He asks, a motion from the side catching his attention. She's shaking her head at her husband but hasn't tugged him away from the machine. Newt is holding his hand, squeezing it gently as Hermann looks Raleigh in the eye. "You may not come back as you are." 

"I c'n deal if Maks an' Chuck'll still have me." Raleigh assures with a soft look at his significant others. 

"Always, saiai." Mako murmurs as she goes up on tip-toe to press a warm kiss to the pilot's lips. 

"Ye _better_ come back or 'm gonna go there an' kick yer arse inta gear." Chuck mulishly growls as he pulls Raleigh down for a loving kiss. "Now go b'fore I do somethin' stupid." 

Newton pulls Hermann down for an absolutely filthy kiss both of them a little too desperate for it to be working like it is. Hermann gasps as he moves away, swiping at the quickly gathering tears. "I will see you again, Newton. This I promise you." 

"Go. And don't forget to use all six doctorates!" Newton yells before the circle lights up around them. 

"As you wish."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Broke my own heart a little doing that. I apologize for any feels that are coming in future chapters. 
> 
> Feedback is loved~


	7. Riding the Wave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack! Sorry for not updating or anything. I got sucked into Athene again since those Muses are chirping up a storm~ 
> 
> Also, a lot of Athene world-building going on behind the scenes. If you have no clue what that is, I suggest that if you're here for the Newmann you go read Athene Noctua by pickleplum and all the accompanying fics!

* * *

**-March 18, 1946; Southern France-**

They land fairly well (Hermann finding his balance and not _vomiting_ like the last time) and Raleigh brightens at the forest surrounding them. 

"I know exactly where we are. C'mon," Raleigh takes the lead, falling back into the role of fighter pilot in the blink of an eye. "Mako said that we only had a few hours t' convince Yan that he has to come with us." 

"Should we stay here?" Tendo asks as he shrugs on his jacket. The weather is quite nippy but Hermann is very comfortable in his duster. The parka would not be invented for a few more years, actually falling inside of Tendo's timeline. Inconsistencies are a real worry with the Time Manipulator as are the steps they take in this place. 

"I need you, Tendo, but... Umm." Raleigh's trying not to hurt Hermann's feelings but he knows what must be done. 

"Bringing someone who looks and speaks German into a camp full of the enemy is a very stupid idea. I will stay here and watch our belongings for the time being. Meet back here in five hours or less. There isn't another pulse for three days if we miss it." Hermann states dryly as he sits down on his luggage. "Go on." 

The pilot nods and hugs Hermann to him briefly in apology. Hermann tugs their luggage into the underbrush and opens his phone (which had miraculously made the trip) to no service. It's an older flip-phone with a charger and there's a sticky-note on the inside. 

_Hey!_

_If this thing didn't die in 1946, you're going to need it for our first contact in August of 2017. Don't lose this sucker. It's the only link I have to you. -Newt_

_P.S. I miss you already and it hasn't even been an hour in our timeline._

_P.P.S. I love you._

Hermann smiles fondly at Newton's chicken-scratch and tucks the note away in his moleskin. He settles on a medium-sized rock and decides to start coding out the proto-Jaeger possibilities. 

The light in the forest changes from brilliant to slowly dulling and then it's nearly sunset by the time he hears booted footsteps. A new voice joins those of his time companions. 

"Rals, that's nuts. There's no way that there's going to be a glowing rainbow circle-" The pulse activates right as the voice states it, causing it to stop mid-way. "Holy shit. Okay, what else is there?" 

"We're traveling with someone and you're **not allowed** to scream like a dame." Hermann takes that as his cue to put away his moleskin and start tugging out his luggage. 

"Tendo, grab your suitcase and Raleigh's. I cannot carry them all." He says as he drags his worldly possessions into the pulse. "Please do hurry, this will dump us out in exactly ten minutes." 

"Yeah, I got it!" Tendo scuffs the second suitcase and Raleigh's ruck into the circle just in the nick of time. 

"What the hell is going on, Rals?!" The other blond pilot yelps as the Time Manipulator takes them into the future once more.

* * *

**-April 5, 2013; San Francisco; Four Months and counting to Tresspasser-**

This time they land in a heap, Hermann thankfully on top. 

"My apologies gentlemen." Yancy throws up, completely beleaguered from the first trip through time. "Oh dear. Tendo?" 

"It really sucks and we need to debrief Mr. Sick," Tendo chirrups even as it starts drizzling rain. "plus get out of this. Won't last long but the temp soars." 

"Where are we anyway?" Raleigh asks as he wipes bile from his brother's lips and helps up the other blond. 

"Foothills of the Sierra range, if I am not mistaken." Hermann mumurs as he pulls bottled water and salt-crackers from his duster's deep pockets. "Here. This should help." 

".... Why's th' Nazi helpin' out?" The hoarse words are welcome to a certain degree. 

"I will say this only _once_ , Mr. Becket. The first country the Nazis invaded was their own. I do not support the party nor any of it's goals. I come from 1928 where it is a worker's union party that will not take Hitler until 1934. Are we clear?" Hermann bristles sharply as he hands the materials to Raleigh. "Correct your brother, Raleigh, or I will and it will not be pleasant." 

"Duly noted, Doc." Raleigh shakes his head at his brother and starts speaking in rapid-fire French. "Also, time talk is only limited to English or English-derivatives. Dr. Geiszler totally could've told you in German." 

"I'm aware of that now," Hermann chuckles dryly as Tendo waves down a large van. "I suppose he was trying to be mysterious." 

"We're a bit lost and our taxi dropped us off up here for some reason. Damn guy was pretty shady." Tendo leans on the passenger side and talks to both women in the front, giving them a bright smile. "We're here for a conference at Stanford and the Professor," Hermann gives a tentative wave, "has a lecture to give. Think you could give us a lift?" 

"What's his degree in?" The British voice that comes from the stunning red-head has him smiling. 

"Mathematics and physics; I have two degrees. I lecture about engineering and robotics. Dr. Gottlieb at your service, madam." Hermann replies as he uses his cane to pick his way down the rocky hill that Tendo had merely skidded down. 

"Well, Dr. Gottlieb, what about the wonder twins?" She asks as she glances up at the Beckets. 

"They are brothers and my support team." He chuckles as Raleigh wraps an arm around his brother to lead him down. "The elder Becket gets motion sickness on the ground."

"C'mon Red," The darker woman that Tendo was near sighs and rolls her eyes at Red. "You need to be anywhere specific?" 

"The city proper would be far enough, ladies." Hermann doesn't want to make either these women uncomfortable. If they do... It is a very long walk to the edge of the city. 

"So nice. See Red, there are gentlemen left." 

"Whatever Moony." Red rolls her expressive green eyes and shuts the truck off. "No funny business, guys." She gets out and she's in an RAF uniform. Raleigh grins and nudges his brother. 

"You're pilots? So are we. We're here to keep the Doc company an' carry his stuff. Yan, up." Yancy straightens, loading the suitcases slowly in the back with a shy smile. 

They pile into the van carefully and nod to the three other very no-nonsense women in the van. 

"So, pretty boy, what _do_ you fly?" Red questions as she drives with a casual arm slung around Moony's shoulders. 

"Restored WW II Kittyhawks and Spitfires. 'S harder than it sounds, by the way." Raleigh hums with a very confident smile. Yancy rolls his eyes at his brother and sips more water, wedging himself in his seat and still looking very green. 

"Where? I haven't heard of you." Oh this one is sharp. They'll have to be careful. 

"Southern France. We've got dual-citizenship 'n go by different names. Ever heard of th' Lapierre's?" Yancy rasps out with a brave movement of leaning forward. He groans and leans back again with his face pressed against the window.

"... You're telling me you two are related to the Lapierre-Beckets of the Eagle Squad?" Moony whips her head around to look at the Beckets. "Red, they actually _look_ like them." 

"Mom said we look the spittin' image of our great-grandparents. Born th' same amount of time apart too." Raleigh chuckles with a wry grin. Hermann sighs and swats Raleigh's leg with his cane. This is going to be a long journey. "Sorry Doc."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it bad that I don't think this is doing very well? Thank you very much to the dedicated readers of this mess.


	8. The Parting of Ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi? *ducks thrown rocks* Sorry about it being a while since I posted a chapter? Eek. Been a bit. My bad. Super busy with things and stuff that might get me a job/into college. Kinda excited and nervous as all get out. 
> 
> Can you guys guess who Red and Moony are?

* * *

After a pleasant drive with the squadron, they're dropped off in front of a café. 

"Take it easy fly boy. Doctor, it was a pleasure meeting you." Moony (who, in Hermann's opinion, wisely has not stated her given name) says as Raleigh pulls thier suitcases out of the back. Yancy's in a chair, looking a little better than he was at the foothills. 

"The honor was mine, ladies." He gestures with a civilian salute and the Beckets follow suit. Tendo gives them a cheeky grin, insisting on at least paying for the gas. 

"Bye fellas!" The RAAF women pull away with a wave from Moony and a rude gesture from Red. 

"Alright now what?" Yancy murmurs as he presses the cool water bottle to his face. Hermann sighs as he unzips a compartment of his suitcase to pull out a slightly battered laptop. It was one of Mako's finished projects that she had restored to working order. "Rals, 'm kickin' your ass if I don't get a very _thorough_ explaination once we have a base." 

Hermann sends Raleigh and Tendo in for coffee as well as the Wi-fi password. Yancy starts looking better while regaining some color on his formerly pallid face. Tendo comes out with four cups, a smug grin and the number to a real-estate agent. Raleigh trails behind with the other four cups (one full of clear water for Yancy) and food in a baggie. 

"How on Earth did you manage that?" Hermann asks as he takes a sip of the coffee. He blinks as the taste is frankly amazing. The last days of the Shatterdome had been much like his years after the Great War (the quality food aside). 

"Dude, it's called charisma and charm. I also may or may not have complimented the dame-into-other-dames on her taste in women." Tendo says as he bites into his sandwich. "Wow. Food is really nice after that blitz." 

"Yeah. It always leaves me hungry. Side-effect maybe?" Raleigh hums as he also bites down into a sandwich with cheese. 

"Most likely. Password?" Raleigh rattles off a string of letters and numbers. Hermann plugs in the USB Mako gave him before take-off and their identities begin to make their way to the proper databases. He is incredibly grateful for Mako's prowess with machinery of any sort. "Thank you." 

"Hey Doc," Yancy starts in German (he files that away for later thought), "why'd you need me an' Rals?" 

"I didn't." Hermann clarifies his answer when both Beckets look confused. "The timeline states that two Beckets entered the program." 

"Oh. Count me in then."

* * *

 **-Motel Room; Three Hours Later-**

Something tells Hermann that they'll need communication devices and he delves into the account numbers Mako had assigned them, pleased as she included the predicted prices of various phone companies. 

"We have much to thank Mako for when we get to the future," he murmurs to himself as the second-hand liscence printer meeps to allow Tendo to drive. He waves the hot laminated card, handing it over to the LOCCENT Officer after it cools as he watches the news outlets. 

"Yeah. The future's nice an' all, Doc, but I'm appalled at th' crime-rate. Figured that after two Wars in a row that people'd be heartily sick of it all." Yancy quips as he scrolls through the Internet on a small tablet Tendo had brought along. 

"No kidding brother. We'll just look funny when we have old-man philosophies; they're gonna call us hipsters." Tendo fires back lazily. "Or hippies because despite being from our respective times, we _look_ like we were born in the 80s or 90s." 

Yancy opens his mouth, raises a finger and closes his mouth with a thoughtful look. "Oh. Right. Lemme go Google somethin' real quick." 

"That's something a kid born in the 90s would say. Quick study," Tendo says with approval lacing his words. 

Yancy goes back to typing on the tablet as Raleigh takes the remote from Tendo, shoving him the way Bastien had shoved Dietrich when the radio show was on. He stays a little longer with the flimsy excuse that the Beckets need to know how to order food at the very least.

* * *

Tendo's the organizer purely due to his skills and charm, though Hermann is coming with as a precaution. Raleigh knows enough of the future to **hopefully** stay out of trouble. Hermann is just praying to anyone that will listen that the boys (because that's what they are) don't do anything spectacularly stupid. 

They secure a car for Tendo, a plane ticket for Hermann and two more for the Becket boys as well. Phones take a bit more finagling before the salesperson directs them to the temporary cell phones. 

Hermann gets a charger for his little momento from Newton; he'd broken the original one during their fall from the Time Manipulator. Tendo will remain in California, solidly in San Franscisco; he will witness the monstrosity up close and personal. Hermann does not envy the man's position. 

"Sucks that you guys have to leave so soon," Tendo sighs even as he programs Hermann and the Becket's numbers into the flip-phone. Hermann does the same. They can all technically call each other for advice, to rant about the future, ect. 

Hermann can tell it's going to be an extremely _**long**_ wait for all of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter. It was a pain in my butt to pull out of my Muses. Feedback is loved~ Wouldn't mind constructive crit if you can offer it. I know I have some reaccuring problems.


	9. Family, Food and Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The shenanigans will begin next chapter but anyway, hi! Sorry for not updating for a bit. I don't want to post all that I have and then leave you guys hanging and this AU is getting shoved to the side because the Muses are chasing other AUs. (Namely more Sentient!Jaegers but shhh.)
> 
> So, as per usual, enjoy~

* * *

**-March 12, 2014-**

Hermann stares at the very first email that comes from Newton. His heart breaks a little as he prints it out before replying with inconcise facts, guilt eating at him as he lies through his (figurative) teeth about figures. Newt replies back quickly, almost... nervously. Hermann knows why and the flare of the Drift memories make him sigh deeply. Newton had faced so much dismissal so Hermann swore that his letters would make up for those instances. 

Nevermind the fact that he was somehow supposed to be a good enough actor to devolve into a shouting match with his Drift-compatible partner. 

"I need someone to tell me I can do this," he mumurs to himself, shaking his head as the screen reads that Newton signed off half an hour ago with his musing. Hermann takes a taxi to Dietrich's tomb to speak with his brother (as much as one could speak to a spirit). What he doesn't expect is the hunched figure of Bastien speaking to Dietrich with a raspy voice. 

"Oh Dietrich... If only Hermann was here to see the world now. He would throw himself into a solution for these monsters. Even being sensible, he would suggest something he could make," Bastien chuckles as he swipes at his wrinkled hazel eyes. "I wouldn't put it past him to suggest those outlandish robots from the pages he left." 

"I might." Hermann doesn't know what makes him speak, far less what compels him to do so when he cannot expressly tell his brother anything. 

" _Hermann?!_ Manny, if I were hallucinating, I would not see you breathing fog." Bastien yelps, his German slipping into Garmisch slang. 

"You're not hallucinating, Bas. I can't explain all of it; not allowed, you see. I needed to clear my mind and I was hoping to speak to our brother." He allows as he makes his way across the slippery leaves. Leaning heavily on his cane, Hermann gives his younger brother a fond look. "You'll not tell anyone you saw me?" 

"No. Manny, you've been considered dead for nearly a century. They would stick me in a retirement home. Karla... She took your loss hard. Dietrich threw himself into the search until the War broke out." Bastien murmurs as he hobbles over to the damp bench across from the grave. "He helped Allies and managed to tell his story in only a few hours. The soldiers promised to keep an eye out but said that you had likely been killed at some point." 

"That's Die for you," he says dryly. 

"We had word from some squad in Southern France but dismissed them after they couldn't find anything other than a sketch." His younger brother pulled out a thick leather wallet and gently coaxes a brittle page from its depths. It's a half-finished sketch of _Tacit Ronin_ that he'd lost to the wind while he'd been waiting for Raleigh and Yancy. 

"Well, that _is_ mine." Hermann admits sheepishly as he scrubs at his too-long undercut with his free hand. "Not that I mind, but... Do I have a grave?" 

"You do. It's next to Dietrich's; I can't crouch as well as I used to but you're there." Bastien answers with a wrinkled smile. 

"Ah. One moment." He does crouch and remove the debris. It's fairly simple, as far as plaques go but it's still sweet of them. He knows they have to continue paying for the gravesite even if there's no body. 

_**Hermann Gottleib**_

_Beloved Brother, Friend and Professor_

_1906-1928_

"Do you have time to visit my great-grandchildren?" Bastien inquires as he tries to stand. Hermann helps his brother up with a grunt, both of them linking their elbows for stability. 

"I suppose I could." The file the PPDC has on him stated nothing of his life aside from what Mako had integrated into the web with that USB. He could visit and it wouldn't show up on anything. It was safe so he would spend some time with his brother. 

"That's good then."

* * *

They take a taxi to Bastien's apartment, Hermann inundated with the noise from several small children. 

"Opa! You're home! Who's he?" 

"A very good friend, liebe. He makes robots." Bastien chuckles as the brunette-haired boy looks up at Hermann with curiosity. 

"Robots? Does he speak German? English?" The child asks in rapid-fire German, brown eyes like the ones he stares into in the mirror every morning. 

"Both, young man, as well as Cantonese," Hermann replies as he takes off his shoes and puts them in the hallway. "Do you always ask strangers such questions?" 

"Yes." 

"Manny, meet Hermann Jr." Bastien introduces with a smile lighting up his hazel eyes. "He gets all of his questioning from Dietrich."

"Hermann's an **old** name. Why'd your parents stick _you_ with it?" The younger Hermann asserts with a pout. He can't be more than ten at this point. 

"Well, my parents were... old fashioned. It's a good, strong German name. Do you go by something else?" Hermann asked with a raised brow. 

"Yeah. Raban. Cause Hermann's stuffy but Raban is cool." Raban sniffed. Hermann just shakes his head at the idea that a name isn't something to be cherished. Bastien gives him a fond look as he ushers him into the kitchen. There are twin girls, both seated and giggling as Hermann hobbles into the room. 

"Raban gave you the 'my middle name is cooler than my first' speech." The first girl snorts with a smile. "Adele." 

"Hedwig but you can call me Hedi." 

"Hermann. Pleasure to meet you young ladies." 

"Manny, can you help me with the coffee and... pastries?" Both girls perk up at that, one set of blue and one set of hazel looking up. 

"Of course, Bas." He leaves his cane near his chair and then he hears the click of his sword cane being opened. "Ladies, put it back." 

"You have a sword in your cane!" Adele says with awe, drawing Raban and another dark-haired boy from the living room. 

"A sword?!" 

"It's a tri-sided blade for self-defense. Put it back." Hermann draws to his full height and sharpens his tone a little. Hedi twists it back into the sheathe, handing it over with a sheepish look. "And Newton wanted two or three." He mutters to himself with a sigh. 

"Newton? A friend?" Bastien asks as he sets down the coffee pot onto a pot holder. 

"... My partner." 

"Oh. Well, that is allowed now." His younger brother hums as he starts setting out the pastries and a chocolate spread labeled Nutella. 

"You're gay?" Raban looks at him with his head cocked to the side. 

The black-haired boy elbows Raban and gives him a chiding look. "Nothing wrong with it, Rab. 'M Velten. Do you have a photo?" 

"I do. One moment." Hermann sits down after Bastien does, careful to keep his bad leg stretched out. He scrolls through the phone pictures and smiles as he finds a cache of Newton's selfies. "Here." 

The photo is made in broad daylight, the view very familiar as it's from the top of the Hong Kong Shatterdome in the spring of '23. Newt's laughing at something Hermann said, the moment captured in a brief click. The memory is a particularly vivid one. 

"Cool tattoos. You have any?" Velten says as he hands it back. 

"A few." He allows as he digs into the afternoon meal along with everyone else. "Nothing like Newton's, of course, but a fair amount." 

"Cooool. What are they?" 

"Stars mostly. A galaxy and a set of constellations. A robot or two." The last is fairly recent too; he'd gotten _Gipsy Danger_ , _Striker Eureka_ , _Cherno Alpha_ and _Crimson Typhoon_ as a memorial tattoo a while back in a tiny shop. 

"Wow. Can we see?" 

"I suppose that would be up to your Opa." He counters as he butters a roll. 

"Manny, if you would be so kind." Bastien offers with a gesture. Hermann rolls up his sleeve and reveals _Striker Eureka_ with it's coding doing a double helix up his forearm while wrapping around the Jaeger. "Oh. That is a nice piece." 

"Designed it myself." If Hermann's smile is a little bigger than it should be, well, that's his secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're getting somewhere! Also, anyone know a really good coffee place in Anchorage? Asking purely for story's sake but I c'n research if it gets down to it. Feedback is looooved~


	10. Jaeger Academy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack! So sorry to those of you who were following this! I got sucked into another fandom entirely (plus started school again) and forgot I had another chapter! Oops. *sheepishly peers out from behind rock* 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy~

* * *

**-September 2, 2015-**

Getting off into blasting Arctic temperatures is not something he wants to do but he has to attend this Academy year. It's a six month course and the Beckets are in Alaska so he can contact them. 

"Dr. Gottlieb?!" There's someone coming to greet him. "Hi! I'm Dr. Lightcap. Your coding was impressive." The incredibly tall woman leads him into the Academy and shakes his hand with genuine enthusiasm. 

"The idea is far-fetched, I admit, but coding these won't be easy." He answers with a depreciating shrug. 

"We need to come up with a name. We keep throwing ideas back and forth but nothing sticks." Dr. Lightcap sighs as she walks them to Drift-Science. "Some idiot suggested Gundams, if you can believe it..." 

"Jaeger." The word is out before he can help it. "It means hunter in German." 

"Hmm. Sounds pretty good."

* * *

The coding work is hellish for the first eight months. Hermann's literally living off of tea and pre-heated meals from the Mess Hall. Raleigh arrives in the middle of one such whirlwind and catches Hermann's arm, signaling a meeting outside in twenty minutes. 

Hermann barely tastes anything of what he's eating (he couldn't possibly tell anyone what it was, even years from now). He scrapes what remains into his mouth and is up and about in under ten minutes. Walking outside is a small reprieve from the noise and the work still left to be done. 

Raleigh gently leads him to the Cadet quarters and unceremoniously kicks out the other two Cadets sharing the space. 

"Hey Doc. You look exhausted." He's handed a cup of tea and what looks like a French biscuit. "Here." 

"How is Academy training?" He rasps out after he swallows a mouthful of fragrant tea. 

"Hard but nothin' Yan an' I can't do. We've been brushin' up on the future from what I c'n remember. We're limited t' writing it down though. The words get stuck in French now too." Raleigh replies with a shrug. 

"The closer we get, the more likely it is that we cannot speak of it at all. They're starting to close in German too. We need to be careful." Hermann sighs as he bites into the biscuit. 

"No kidding. Yan's out. He's completely enamoured with where we are now." Raleigh gives an indulgent chuckle as Hermann finishes his tea and pours him another cup. "'Snice seeing you again, Doc. Tendo's in LOCCENT trainin' an' he was so relieved to see me and Yan." 

"He's here on schedule. According to my notes here," Hermann pulls out his stuffed moleskin and flips it to the ribbon-marked page to consult it. "we're on target." 

"Miss Mako." Raleigh sighs. "I know she's here with Stacker but... Don't wanna be creepy." 

"Newton's coming here in another month for the K-Sci course and he'll be barely 18." Hermann agrees with a long exhale. "Would you like to meet in Anchorage about once a week? We need to keep track from here on out." 

"Yeah. I'll rope Tendo into it as well. Bet he misses us." Raleigh smiles brightly and for a split second, Hermann understands why Mako calls him a golden retriever.

* * *

The once-a-week meetings turn into thrice weekly, making sure their actions match those of history. The waitress cheekily calls them her conspiracy theorists. None of them feel like correcting it nor will they say anything to her of what exactly they're 'conspiring' about. 

"I have another year before I meet Newton face-to-face. I won't be able to pull it off. I cannot act." Hermann declares quietly into his latte. 

"He's different now than he is in, well, you know." Tendo points out while waving his hand. "Newt's... arrogant. He was a lot more so when I first joined back in '18. The urge to shut him down will be irresistible. _Trust_ me." 

"To the point that I use all six of his doctorates?" Hermann asks as he takes a bite of the chocolate eclair he ordered with his coffee. 

"Drove me nuts when we met," Raleigh admits with a wrinkled nose. Hermann can't help the brief smile that tilts his lips up for a moment. "Wanted to punch his lights out." 

"Ah. Well I suppose so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
